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Category Archives: Polling

Gay Marriage is a Vote Loser

October 4, 2013 – 9:00 am

In England, a recent report showed that nearly two-thirds of MP's believe that supporting gay 'marriage' is a 'vote loser.' And reports from local Conservative associations show a rapid decline in membership, with gay marriage seen as one of the reasons. Now even the Prime Minister, David Cameron, is saying that he regrets "forcing" marriage redefinition through the Parliament.

Thumbs Down The same can be said in America. Despite the droning drumbeat of the mainstream media, nearly two-thirds – 65 percent – of Americans disapprove of redefining marriage.

During the November 2012 elections, true marriage out-polled the Romney campaign in all four states marriage was on the ballot – by double digit margins!

It seems English politicians have already learned what the GOP in America – and all its candidates – need to grasp. Defending marriage as one man and one woman is a winning issue at the polls.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Europe, Politics, Polling, Same Sex Marriage, United Kingdom | Comments Off

51% of Ohioans Support True Definition of Marriage

September 4, 2013 – 2:00 pm

A new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute shows that the majority of Ohio residents -- 51% -- do not support a measure to redefine marriage, as opposed to just 45% who would. While the Public Religion Research Institute describes itself as nonpartisan, the poll was funded by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, which actually promotes same-sex marriage advocacy.

Cleveland.com:

Ohioans are split on the idea of gay marriage and, if the election were today, would not vote to overturn the state's ban on it, a new poll shows.

...when asked about a possible state constitutional amendment to repeal the one that banned gay marriage nearly a decade ago, 51 percent said they would not support the measure, compared with 45 percent who would. The findings seem to validate fears some gay rights groups in Ohio have about moving ahead with their ballot push in 2014.

When given the option to support civil unions, 41 percent favor gay marriage, 30 percent no recognition at all and 23 percent civil unions. But 68 percent – including 61 percent of Republicans – said they favor laws that protect gays from job discrimination.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, Ohio, Poll, Polling, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Online Poll: 95% Say Elected Officials Should Enforce Laws as Written

August 28, 2013 – 1:01 pm

Elected officials are defying state law by making unilateral decisions about marriage. Should this be tolerated?

One News Now conducted a poll this week, asking whether duly elected officials should enforce laws as written or if we should allow them to simply assume the role of the courts. What do you think?

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, New Mexico, Politics, Poll, Polling, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

85% of Americans Say Christian Photographer Has Right to Refuse Same-Sex Ceremony

August 23, 2013 – 2:29 pm

We've heard a lot of stories recently about people of faith being forced to compromise their religious beliefs over same-sex marriage (bakery owners in Oregon, a florist in Washington state, innkeepers in Vermont...). But a new Rasmussen poll shows the vast majority of Americans are highly opposed to business owners being penalized or sued for running their business according to their own personal beliefs and values.

In fact, just 8% of the population answered "no" when asked the question "Suppose a Christian wedding photographer has deeply held religious beliefs opposing same-sex marriage. If asked to work a same-sex wedding ceremony, should that wedding photographer have the right to say no?"

More Republicans (96 percent) than Democrats (77 percent) agreed with the photographer's right to deny a gay wedding request. Ninety-seven percent of evangelical Christians and 92 percent of weekly churchgoers said the same. But even 88 percent of atheists agreed that the photographer has the right to say no.

This comes four months after the latest development in the famous Willock v. Elane Photography case, where Vanessa Willock and her partner, Misti Collinsworth, sued Christian couple Elaine and Jon Huguenin for this very denial in 2006. In 2008, the New Mexico Human Rights Commission found the Huguenins guilty of sexual discrimination, and the New Mexico Court of Appeals upheld this ruling last May.

The Alliance Defense Fund, which defended the Huguenins and their company, Elane Photography LLC, has taken their case to the New Mexico Supreme Court. The court heard ADF Senior Counsel Jordan Lorence's oral arguments on March 11. On Wednesday, an ADF spokesman told CP that "ADF attorneys are still waiting for the decision from the New Mexico Supreme Court." -Christian Post

Business owners and employees should never be threatened with legal action for abiding by the tenets of their faith. If you or anyone you know has been threatened, harassed, or intimidated because you believe in the truth about marriage, we want to hear your story. You are not alone.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, MarriageADA, New Mexico, Poll, Polling, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

How Language Affects Poll Results

August 21, 2013 – 1:20 pm

When it comes to marriage polls, wording matters. This is something that same-sex marriage advocates are well-aware of, and we've seen them use it time and time again -- on polls and ballots alike -- in attempts to skew results in their favor.

Take a look at how Americans responded to two different questions on redefining marriage.

Would you approve or disapprove of changing the definition of the word marriage to also include same-sex couples?

39% Approve

56% Disapprove

5% Don’t Know

Do you favor or oppose legalizing same-sex marriage?

46% Favor

47% Opposed

7% Don’t Know

The first question, which makes clear that marriage would be redefined entirely to include same-sex couples, garnered just 39% support. 56% were opposed to the redefinition. But now take a look at the language of the second, shorter question. When asked if they were for or against legalizing same-sex marriage, the results were drastically different.

Rasmussen: Public Approval of Supreme Court Falls to All-Time Low

July 1, 2013 – 1:00 pm

America is not happy with the Supreme Court:

Judicial Branch Of Government The U.S. Supreme Court finished its term with big decisions on voting rights, affirmative action and same-sex marriage. Following those rulings, public approval of the court has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded in more than nine years of polling.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 28% believe the Supreme Court is doing a good or an excellent job. At the same time, 30% rate its performance as poor. That’s the highest-ever poor rating. It’s also the first time ever that the poor ratings have topped the positive assessments. Thirty-nine percent (39%) give the court middling reviews and rate its performance as fair.

... Just prior to last week, 30% gave the court good or excellent marks. While the overall number fell only slightly following the final flurry of rulings, there were significant changes beneath the surface. Positive ratings increased among liberal voters by 13 points. However, they fell by eight points among conservatives and by seven among moderates.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Polling, Same Sex Marriage, Supreme Court | Comments (5)

Anderson: Gay Marriage is Anything But Inevitable

June 11, 2013 – 10:00 am

Last week Ryan Anderson responded to the latest efforts to cut short the marriage debate by declaring SSM "inevitable":

Still, no one can deny that Americans’ support for marriage is not what it once was. This is largely because we have done an insufficient job of explaining what marriage is, why marriage matters, and what the consequences will be if we redefine marriage.

To fill this void, we have worked with our allies at the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Family Research Council, and the National Organization for Marriage to produce an easy to read pamphlet to explain why marriage matters in everyday language. Download a free e-book version today at TheMarriageFacts.com.

Marriage is founded on the anthropological truth that men and women are different and complementary, the biological fact that the union of a man and woman also creates new life, and the social reality that children need a mom and a dad.

For decades, social science has shown that children tend to do best when reared by their married mother and father. Government recognizes marriage because it is an institution that benefits society in a way that no other relationship does.

Marriage is society’s least restrictive means to ensure the well-being of future citizens. It protects children by incentivizing adults to commit to each other and take responsibility for their children.

All the polls in the world cannot undo the truth about marriage. But they can obscure the truth and make it less likely that men and women commit to each other permanently and exclusively. This in turn reduces the odds that children will know the love and care of their married mothers and fathers.

Whatever pollsters and pundits may tell us about “inevitability,” the only way to guarantee a political loss is to sit idly by. We should frame our message, strengthen coalitions, devise strategies, and bear witness. (Heritage)

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Debating Marriage, Polling | Comments (5)

Tories Paying at the Polls for SSM

May 2, 2013 – 12:30 pm

The Christian Institute reports that the Conservative Party in the UK is potentially facing huge losses in tomorrow's elections due to the Prime Minister's policies pushing same-sex marriage:

The ComRes poll, commissioned by the Coalition for Marriage, reveals that one in four of those who voted Conservative in 2010 say the policy is putting them off voting for the Party again.

Asked, “Does the Coalition Government’s plans to legalise same sex marriage make you more or less likely to vote for each of these parties in next week’s local elections?” 26 per cent of Conservative 2010 voters say less likely.

Fewer than one in ten (nine per cent) say they are more likely to vote Tory again because of gay marriage.

And 22 per cent of those polled said they were planning to vote for UKIP, which opposes gay marriage.

Buyer's Remorse: Strong Majority in Minnesota Opposes Gay Marriage

March 6, 2013 – 1:00 pm

More proof that Minnesotans understand they were sold a bill of goods last November when they were told by gay marriage advocates that there was no plan to redefine marriage for the whole state.

And yet, the same gay marriage activists who also condemned efforts to protect marriage as a "distraction" from the other pressing business of the legislature, are now themselves pushing gay marriage:

A majority of Minnesotans oppose legalizing same-sex marriage, the Star Tribune Minnesota Poll has found.

Fifty-three percent of Minnesotans say the state statute banning same-sex unions should stand. Only 38 percent say legislators should overturn the law this year, while 9 percent are undecided.

The new poll offers a fresh snapshot of an issue that has deeply divided the state. It was just five months ago that Minnesotans rejected a proposal to put the ban into the state’s Constitution. Legislators now are considering bills that would make gay marriage legal.

House Speaker Paul Thissen said he found the poll results surprising, with stronger opposition than has been seen in other samplings. (Star Tribune)

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Minnesota, Poll, Polling, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (24)

New National Poll: Majority of Tea Party, Majority of GOP, 1/3rd of Democrats Support Marriage!

March 5, 2013 – 2:00 pm

Forget the push polls offered by MSNBC and CNN claiming a clear majority support redefining marriage. We know from 34 actual state votes on marriage and scores of polling this is not true. A new national poll commissioned by Fox reflects the reality that redefining marriage is hardly a consensus or even a majority:

American voters are split down the middle over whether same-sex marriage should be legalized, with the exact same percentage -- 46 percent -- in favor as opposed to it, according to the latest Fox News poll
.
... Most Democrats (64 percent) are in favor, while most Republicans are opposed (66 percent). Independents are more likely to favor same-sex marriage, 50 percent to 39 percent.

On the other hand, voters who regularly attend church services oppose gay marriage (65 percent), while over half of those who attend less frequently are in favor (53 percent).

... those most opposed include “very” conservatives (79 percent), Tea Partiers (76 percent) and white evangelical Christians (71 percent).

To further underscore the findings of the poll: Tea Partiers are pro-marriage, as are evangelical Christians. A strong majority of Republicans are pro-marriage, as are over a third of Democrats!

Our polling from last November has shown that, when the question is asked fairly, 60% of Americans agree marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Politics, Polling, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (16)

Support for SSM in France Falls From 65% to 50% in Wake of Paris Rally

January 18, 2013 – 2:30 pm

CBN:

President Francois Hollande is planning to legalize same-sex marriage, but the country's Catholic bishops and other religious leaders are fighting the initiative.

Public opinion appears to be moving in their favor, with a recent poll showing about 50 percent of French support same-sex marriage, down from 65 percent in August.

France has already legalized civil unions for same-sex couples, but this new law gives gay couples the rights to adopt.

Traditional French groups say children should be raised by a mother and a father.

By NOM Staff | Posted in France, Marriage, Polling, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (25)

New Polls Show Increasing Support for Marriage in New Zealand!

January 7, 2013 – 10:30 am

Via the new MercatorNet blog on the future of marriage Conjugality:

The following press release provides an update on the same-sex marriage issue in New Zealand, where a bill redefining marriage to include such unions is due for a second reading on March 20:

Family First NZ and the ‘Protect Marriage’ campaign is welcoming a Herald on Sunday poll today showing that support for redefining marriage has fallen from a previous high of 63% in a ONE News Colmar Brunton poll last May to just 53% now.

This echoes a similar slide in polling by Research NZ which showed support for ‘same-sex marriage’ dropping to less than 50%, down 11% from a similar poll in 2011...

By NOM Staff | Posted in Australia, Marriage, Poll, Polling, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

Legal Insurrection: Much-Touted Poll on SSM Actually Shows Majority Oppose SSM

December 19, 2012 – 10:00 am

We've seen this before but it's always worth pointing out again -- polls claiming a majority support redefining marriage offer those they poll a false binary choice between redefining marriage and no legal recognition whatsoever:

As Professor Jacobson pointed out the other day, there is an effort already underway to game the refs at the Supreme Court, similar to in the Obamacare case, by creating a media and political narrative that the Court’s legitimacy would be threatened if it were on the “wrong side of history” on gay marriage.

That “gaming the ref” effort was seen the other day at Politico.

Politico’s 9 December headline blared, “Poll: Plurality Support Gay Marriage” which to the undiscerning reader sounds awfully like most people are in favor.

The poll was picked up in many places. The ever excitable writers at Slate saw Politco’s story and quickly ran their own entry with an almost word-for-word headline.

But using their own numbers, Politico could have equally, and perhaps more honestly have written, “Majority Against Gay Marriage“. Or they could have even said “Nation Split on Gay Marriage.” All would have been correct given the actual poll results.

The poll asked which of three views best described a person’s view on gay marriage:

Same sex couples should be able to be legally married;
Same sex couples should be able to enter into civil unions but not be allowed to get married, OR
Same sex couples should not be allowed to have any type of legal union?

Only 40%—a minority—agreed with legal marriage. But 30% said civil unions without marriage was best, and 24% said no marriage and no civil union. That makes 54%—a majority—against marriage.

So while is strictly true that a plurality do support gay marriage when gay marriage is put as one choice of three questions, it is also true, and more faithful to the data, to say a majority is against it. -- Legal Insurrection

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Poll, Polling, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (11)

New Poll: Illinois Hispanics Strongly Pro-Marriage

December 5, 2012 – 12:00 pm

Republican political consultants are simply wrong when they claim social issues like marriage hurt their candidates - instead they help them:

As Republicans ponder how to win over Hispanics in future election cycles, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.

A poll of Illinois Hispanics conducted by pollster Mike McKeon found that a majority shared views generally considered to be sympathetic to the Republican party.

The poll found Hispanics in the conservative camp on social issues in particular. Fifty-one percent said they opposed legalizing gay marriage, compared to just 40 percent who favored legalization. Fifty-six percent called themselves pro-life, while just 33 percent said they were pro-choice. -- The Daily Caller

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Illinois, Marriage, Poll, Polling, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (6)

Poll: 20% of Voters Said Marriage a Top 3 Issue For Them

November 29, 2012 – 1:00 pm

Gary Bauer on the lessons to be learned from the election:

In a national exit poll of 800 voters conducted on my behalf by the polling company, inc./WomanTrend, 8 percent of respondents said that the definition of marriage was their top issue, while another 20 percent called it one of their three top issues.

Interestingly, 44 percent of voters said they would be less likely to support a candidate who supports same-sex marriage (including 32 percent who said they would be much less likely), while 40 percent said they’d be more likely (including 21 percent who said they would be much more likely). -- Human Events

The same poll that NOM participated in showed that 60% of Americans support marriage as the union of one man and one woman.